


Frenemies and Fireworks

by Night-Mare (Aoife)



Series: Cradle 'verse [3]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Cradle Affair, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Author loves to chat in the Comments, Flame Active Character(s), Gen, POV Xanxus, Side Story, Unconventional Uses for Dying Will Flames, Xanxus has a Potty Mouth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-10-23 10:22:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10717512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoife/pseuds/Night-Mare
Summary: Some of Xanxus's thoughts on the events inThe Hand That Rocks The Cradle Rules The World, and how he ended up with the guardians he has.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Rules the World](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10607250) by [Night-Mare (Aoife)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoife/pseuds/Night-Mare). 



The Arcobaleno, he conceded, wasn't scum. Not with the way she could kick his ass - or the fact that she actually bothered to explain why she was kicking his ass and how to improve. Sawada was scum though. But the Arcobaleno agreed with him on that; she used his annoyance with him to drive him to improve - if he wanted the scum gone, he had to be ready to step into his place.

Which meant lessons and sparring and biting his tongue; the last being the first lesson enforced on him by the Arcobaleno's shot gun. She's a vicious little thing - it doesn't surprise him to find that she's ex-military, but he has more respect for her for the fact that she could kick his ass despite the curse.

That respect doesn't overspill to Sawada, but when she drags him to Mafia Island and dumps him on another Arcobaleno, one who favors an even more ridiculously over sized weapon, it does spill over to him.

He kind of envies the other teen; he'd much rather have the Varia than the CEDEF in some ways - he had to be too nice to scum in the CEDEF, but Enrico would need someone he could trust in charge in the intelligence agency and his oldest brother had thanked him for it and that helped him bear it. He also envies him for the fact that the other Sky had two of his Guardians already. He didn't have any yet.

The fact that at least as a tag team with his Rain, Cavallone can give him a decent fight - and is willing to - also eases the sting as does the open invitation to their refuge in the Varia's compound. He uses that refuge frequently - he's not ready to displace Sawada yet. He knows he isn't.

Then Enrico dies and all he wants to do is rage. There's a broken bond and it hurts and he wants someone dead. His father refuses to set him loose. He expects Dino Cavallone and Squalo Superbi to try and talk him down when he takes refuge with them, but they don't. Instead he finds himself planning and executing the kind of attack that should follow the death of a named Heir. It feels good raging alongside another Sky to protect the Alliance.

It's bullshit what happens afterwards; the scum and his bastard of a father _ground_ him. Like he's a child. He's not; he's made his _fucking_ bones. He slides through their attempts to keep him contained, hard won lessons from the streets. And recognising that leads him back to the streets; he's had no luck finding Elements that fit him amongst the trash at his father's parties - maybe he'll have better luck there.

He finds the little Storm with the crown, first. He's always had almost as much of an affinity for Storm Flames as Sky, and the taste of the Stormlet raging because a man had tried to rape him is thick and sweet in his mouth. The little Storm is far too pretty to be a street rat, and the crown perched in his blonde hair is real, but that doesn't matter; the kid is _his_. Was his from the moment that he saw him cut apart the rapist and grinned when Xanxus disposed of the evidence for him with his Wrath.

Bringing Belphegor home, and then doing something as grown up as trading favours with Dino to get the kid a place with the Varia - because it's really, really obvious to him that the way the kid is broken makes him a phenomenally bad fit for an intelligence agency - shifts something in his relationship with the Arcobaleno that's tutoring him. It's slower, subtler than the immediate click of the bond with his little Storm and he doesn't realise for another month what it was.

In the meantime, he fishes a second kid out of the gutter; Basil was gutsy - or stupid - enough to attempt to hit him with Rain Flames. When he'd burned them off and snagged the kid by the collar, he'd had a pocket full of other people's wallets, and he could work with that. The brat had just been unlucky - he'd had his Flames wrapped up tight and had been suppressing his killing intent - with his choice of victim.

Dragging home Basil and talking the Arcobaleno into helping him train the kid finishes the shift with her and he'd _bonded an Arcobaleno_. How in the name of all that was Holy had he _managed_ that?

He's riding high on the intoxication of three Guardian bonds; bonds with strong Elements - the scum only has one rather weak bond when it happens. The scum tries to suborn Basil, who is in the office as Lal's apprentice rather than his Guardian; he's not ready to announce that he has Guardians. Not with Enrico and Massimo both dead. He reacts; his Elements might be meant to Guard _him_ , but as far as he's concerned protection goes both ways, and no one hurts _his own_. No one.

Unexpectedly Lal doesn't break their argument up like she normally does. Instead she's standing over Basil, trying to line a shot up on the scum when he catches sight of the two of his Guardians present, but fuck the scum is strong and fast and in full possession of the adult strength of his Flames. And then the other Sky does something peculiar with his Flames, and his Storm is coming with an allied Sky and a number of other Flame Users ...


	2. Chapter 2

... Pain. So much fucking pain. He hopes Dino or Lal killed the scum; one of them must have, for him to be alive. At least he can still feel all three of his Elements, even if they feel subtly different. And the Sun Arcobaleno - Dino's torturer - is sitting on his chest, pumping Sun Flames into his body. There are two other Skies - one he recognises as Dino, and one who feels like kin, but too young to be Federico - did one of his brothers leave a bastard behind? He hopes so. Federico wasn't going to make a good Don, and there was no way he was going to leave the CEDEF in anyone else's hands. Not after seeing what damage the scum managed to do when in charge of it.

And if Reborn and Lal Mirch could turn him and Dino Cavallone into responsible-ish adults, then between the four of them they could turn one of his brothers' bastards into a decent Don.

"He's awake." Reborn's voice squeaks from the Arcobaleno's perch on his chest.

"Tsuna, sweetheart, go and get Lal and Basil and Bel, please. I need to talk to Xanxus." Reborn jumps down from his chest, and the kin-Sky moves away, just leaving his friend and he hears the door click shut. "We weren't fast _enough_ Xanxus. Iemitsu Sawada knew how to use Zero-Point. You've been on - literal - ice for almost three years; your father and the Bastard," there's too much feeling behind that for it to be just on his part, "refused to defrost you."

"You didn't - you stupid piece of _trash_." His voice is hoarse and it hurts to use it, but he can put two and two together fast enough. "You courted war with the Vongola for _me_?" Even he can hear the note of disbelief in his voice. "Did you kidnap the kid too?"

"Believe it, or not, Tsuna is the Bastard's son. Not that he's any fonder of him than the rest of us. What were you _thinking_ , trying to take him on on your own?" He hadn't been thinking; not with the conscious part of his brain anyway.

"He tried to take my _Rain_." His Flames rise, and fuck that _hurts_ ; what the hell had Sawada done to him?

"Forget that I asked." Dino sighs; "Your Guardians will be here soon; don't be surprised by the way the boys have grown, and for the love of God, keep your temper around Bel until your Flames are more stable; he's spent the last three weeks suffering from mood swings every time you as much as twitched." Fuck; he'd known his little Storm was unstable, but that bad?

His thoughts must have shown on his face. "Squalo's been riding herd on him, and will continue to do so until you can - he's being punished for his own venture into kidnapping." He has to laugh; he can't do anything else, and it hurts, damn it. And he refuses to cry from the pain. Dino must be able to see that, too; there's a click, and the pain starts to fade.

He ends up with his two pre-teen Guardians curled up next to him on the bed he's tucked into, and Lal Mirch watching him from it's foot, an assessing look on her face. "You're not allowed to do anything that _Stupid_  again, Xanxus di Vongola. I've had to play nice with the Bastard all the while you've been 'asleep' and I'll be damned if I have to do without a Sky again now I've found you." He winces. "And you're helping pay off the miser when you're well enough. Understood?" He nods, and she grins, and bounces up again, and finds a comfortable position on his chest. "The best thing you can do is go the fuck back to sleep, and let the three of us stabilise your fucking Flames. So _Sleep_." He doesn't dare do anything else.


End file.
